Some like to set in judgment of others and what others believe. God, the Lord's word on the matter is, "Judge not that ye be not judged." 'For it is high to be a judge.' And only God will stand to judge man. Yet many of those who profess to so believe just cannot help themselves. The very act of criticizing another man, his beliefs and his religion, is an act of judgment. And when done in a manner of mean spirited criticism and slander, much is the worse upon that man so engaged for he has lost the spirit of Christ's true teachings and has entered in upon a spirit of contention upon the matter, which is the spirit of the Devil.

Now Joseph F. Smith, the 10^th President and Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is quoted as having said:

"My words, and the teachings of any other member of the Church, high or low, if they do not square with the revelation, we need not accept them."

~ and ~ "We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man's doctrine."

Now some mean spirited critics have taken those two statements of Joseph Fielding Smith, and by their own determination upon them, devised what they have conclude upon as a doctrinal position upon the part of Joseph Fielding Smith, which they further conclude of themselves that runs counter to other LDS Church leader's positions. I read both these statements and have compared them to the others so cited and find no such thing. But thus is the world and the way of it. Just why do you think the world has but 'One Bible' and so many different religions, doctrines, denominations and interpretation of those Biblical scriptures as it does? 'We believe the Bible to be the word of God just as they do. And they cannot agree upon it among themselves. Often we may disagree among ourselves upon it also. That is why our statement of belief continues with the qualifying statement concerning our belief in the Bible, that 'we believe it as far as it is 'translated' correctly. And that 'translated' process includes the many, many various personal interpretations of men upon the scriptures which has divide the many sects and denominations. And their many differing 'versions' keep being rolled out even today of that same Bible.

Now, who on earth is more qualified to determine a true 'interpretation' or 'translation' of God's word more than God's Prophet, when he speaks in the name of the Lord? Men who speak in and of themselves as men, and even prophets often do that too, have but to think to judge themselves and one of the greatest 'measuring yardsticks' by which they may begin to judge themselves is the scriptures, the written word of God. And if men are found at variance from those scripture, men ought to be so self correcting, not having any higher authority upon it. But if any one has access to a 'higher authority' than the scriptures it would be a prophet of God who has received God's direct word upon it. Certainly 'Thus sayeth the Lord,' does, and it ought to, have more immediate truth and meaning over that which is preserved in scripture. Getting it directly from the 'horse's mouth' is always better than a written report that can be read and interpreted from many varying points of view and perspectives.

I suppose that what the men of the world have lost in understanding is that there is a hierarchy of what 'trumps' what in dealing with the things of God (see a hierarchy of consideration). And what they have lost hold of is the true hierarchy that exists when a prophet of the Lord is amongst them and how that hierarchy even applies to that prophet. Roughly, when God speaks, that is an absolute and it trumps all else. When a prophet speaks as God's prophet his message from God, that is 'thus sayeth the Lord', then that stands second as Brother Brigham pointed out. Then the historical scriptural or cannonized words of God may come next, after which all men, including the prophet when he speaks of himself as a man and not as a prophet as Joseph Fielding Smith was quick to point out that it even applied to his personal word. What is not as clear cut is that every 'man' in the church has a right to 'revelation', that which President Smith also pointed to in his words. Of course they receive that revelation particular to themselves and their positional situation. An individual does not receive revelation for the Church, that a prophet of church authority does. But that personal 'revelation' given to that man may trump for him even a scriptural statement, though vast majority of what that man states, that is 99.9%, will so be couched and can be judge by scriptural compliance. And even if it were revelation to that man concerning himself, what he states is not applicable to others not under his positional authority, and they need not heed it for it is not in compliance to God's general scriptural word to man. That is, 'personal revelation' does not trump 'the scriptures' in its general application to others than that man who did receive it unless perhaps when the Holy Ghost confirms and reveals it to the 'other(s)' as well.

Another event or occasion which the mean spirited judge and critic of others likes to draw out is this story which Wilford Woodruff related. A leading man of the church, I believe it was Sydney Rigdon, admonished his contemporaries to confine their 'revelations' to the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants, as he laid them down before the present congregation. And there is nothing particularly wrong with that concept. We ought to seek to 'couch' or support our teachings within the safe confines of the revealed scriptures.

Now as the story continued, Joseph Smith responded to Sydney's advise by asking Brigham Young to speak upon that concept. Brother Brigham took the stand, and he took the Bible and laid it down. He took the Book of Mormon and laid it down. He took the Doctrine and Covenants and laid it down. Then he said: "There is the written word of God to us, concerning the work of God from the beginning of the world, almost to our day." Brother Brigham did not further point out the obvious, that the scriptures are from and of the historical past, his statement had implied that. Every time and day has some similar conditions and situations common with that of the past. But every new day and new age has many unique situation and conditions which are new to them alone.

Brother Brigham continued: "And now when compared with the living oracles [living prophets of God] those books are nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than all the writing in the books." And of course Brother Joseph Smith, God's living prophet said of Brother Brigham's remarks to the congregation: "Brother Brigham has told you the word of the Lord, and he has told you the truth."

Now some would state that there is a doctrinal opposition is positions in all of this. They likely do not understand the true relationship of the written historical 'word of God' as has been written down by the hand of man about historical situations and conditions relative to dead prophets and having a living prophets speak in the name of God, directly from God concerning today's situations and conditions. They don't even understand about a 'living authoritative priesthood' which is called upon to act in the present according to today's immediate matters in the name of God. And they don't even accept and understand the concept of 'living' and immediate revelation directly from the Holy Ghost to a person's own spirit as we have in the restored Church today. The gifts of the spirit are again. God is not dead, only to be found in the past records of dead prophets. God is alive and living and communicating to living persons in the present time. We have a living prophet head of the Church. We have many who we esteem as those we ought to follow as our General Authorities who as Apostles and Prophets in their own right, also have the 'living revelation of the Holy Spirit' to guide and direct not only themselves but the Church generally, according and relative to their positional callings. Even individual Church members are given the gift and right of the Holy Ghost to be their companion, comforter and guide; giving them personal 'revelation' and guidance in their daily lives as the need and occasion may arise.

What else can I say? Of course we have the scriptures which we are to read and study. There is much in them for us, past situation, circumstance and the gospel teaching that relate to them and to us is important. But as Brother Brigham and I am sure as Joseph Fielding Smith would concur, the living word of God is greater, a living prophet is more revelant and more readily to be followed, and in one's own personal life and needs, an immediate response from the Holy Spirit is more important and needed to be followed. Often one just does not have time to 'look it up' in a book, even the scriptures as the case may be. Life's demands are great upon us, and immediate response needed with not the time to seek our answer to our immediate living situation and the action to be taken from the historical written record. We have that in the Church today, the immediate feed of the Holy Spirit from God to us.

'We believe all that God has revealed', the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price and even in the writings of our own past prophets and inspired leaders. They do present a 'historical measuring stick' by which we can logically determine many things. And yet, also 'We believe all that God does now currently reveal.' We believe in present day revelation and God's direct word and inspiration to us and the living live gifts of the Spirit of God to each of us. 'And we believe that God will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God.' God is the same yesterday, today and on into tomorrow. Prophets of God and revelation to man did occur; prophets of God and revelation from the Holy Ghost does presently continue to happen; and this consistant mode of operation betwix God and man, though his prophets and by the revelations of the Holy Spirit, will continue to happen until that greatest of all days when Christ himself will return and speak directly to us himself. And that will be the greatest of all and what will the comparative relavance be of the historical documents then. Of course Christ very word from his own mouth will take presidence over all else. And man need no longer to 'interpret' and 'translate' God's historical word any longer based upon each man's own learning and perceptions of it.

Now

Now all that being said where are we? Many today, even in the Church, continue to speculate and determine on their own, for their own understanding, education, and skewed perspectives. That in part is what makes us both human and individuals at the same time. Many things are not revealed to us and we are left to our own means. And in such situations we may look to the historical measuring stick the scriptures. Others look to such other measuring sticks as modern science, the philosphical positionings of learned men and other such recorded historical and observable items. Others just look to themselves alone.

And in such things as the Book of Mormon geography, which the offical Church position is that God has not revealed that to us and it is not determinable from the Book of Mormon itself; those among us who so speculate upon it have but meger resources to draw upon. Some look to 'science' to provide them the answer. Other look to insights of our leaders of the Church past and prsent. And then some think to determine it in and of themselves and hold others to their private standards of what they have inovated whether it be of scholarly prowess or down-home insightful feelings.

In one sense, if it does not agree with scriptures or the revealed truth of God's revelations upon the matter, then we are not held to adhere or believe any of it. But many have grouped together in one position upon it or another, and they attempt to hold others to their standard of it, standing in criticism of others if they do not conclude upon it as they themselves do.

On the one hand, I think it is helpful to have some concrete perception of the lands and environment of the Book of Mormon people. To this end structuring some type of geography to it is beneficial, for certainly there was one for it is all true. But on the other hand, to agressively belittle and critize another for not thinking as oneself does upon such a matter, just is not helpful at all.

Like anyone else, I have my opinion and ideas upon it. They are my own. Others have their concepts of it and I have found truth within each of them but at the same time, I have not found any totally correct in all their particulars. When it is revealed and made known for sure, I will readily accept it and will not hold out upon any of my own incorrect perceptions of it. For the time being it does help my understanding of the Book of Mormon to have some conception of it, which is logically supported by a number of other things and other people, most of whom are among the general authority leadership of the church, past and present. Though I must suppose that they may not needfully agree with me upon it.

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